LABLACHE, LUIGI

born Dec. 6, 1794, Naples died Jan. 23, 1858, Naples Italian operatic bass admired for his musicianship and acting. Lablache studied at Naples and at the age of 18 appeared at the opera there as a basso buffo (i.e., in comedy roles), later singing at Palermo, Milan, and Vienna. He had great success in London and Paris as Geronimo in Domenico Cimarosa's Il matrimonio segreto (The Secret Marriage). In 1836 he lived in London, where with Giulia Grisi, Giovanni Mario, and Antonio Tamburini he was part of the celebrated quartet of singers for whom Gaetano Donizetti wrote his Don Pasquale. He was admired by contemporary composers, among them Franz Schubert, who wrote songs for him.